Interactive man-machine method and system for grading pattern pieces and for producing an apparel marker

ABSTRACT

The specification discloses a technique for laying out an apparel pattern marker by efficiently arranging a plurality of apparel pattern pieces within a predetermined marker area. The system includes a digitizer for inputting digital coordinate data representative of a plurality of apparel pattern pieces. A central controller receives and stores the coordinate data and upon command, applies predetermined grading rules to the pattern pieces. The graded pattern pieces may be displayed upon a cathode ray tube display and checked by the operator. To produce a pattern marker, the operator faces the cathode ray tube display on which is displayed miniature representations of the marker area and the pieces comprising the desired style and sizes. The operator manually operates a stylus on a data tablet which is interconnected with the central controller and the cathode ray tube display. The operator further operates a multi-button function box in conjunction with movement of the stylus, in order to arrange the piece reproductions within the marker area on the cathode ray tube. When the desired miniature marker layout has been produced on the cathode ray tube display, the operator may cause the full sized apparel pattern marker to be automatically plotted. The pattern marker may then be utilized to cut cloth to enable the fabrication of a large number of garments of the desired style and sizes.

United States Patent 1191 Martel! INTERACTIVE MAN-MACHINE METHOD ANDSYSTEM FOR GRADING PATTERN PIECES AND FOR PRODUCING AN APPAREL MARKER[75] Inventor: Charles Ronald Martel], Dallas, Tex.

[73] Assignee: Camsco, Inc., Richardson, Tex.

[22] Filed: Aug. 29, 1973 [2|] App]. No.: 392,651

Primary ExaminerHarvey E. Springborn Attorney. Agent. or Firm-Richards,Harris & Medlock [57] ABSTRACT The specification discloses a techniquefor laying out 1 June 3, 1975 an apparel pattern marker by efficientlyarranging a plurality of apparel pattern pieces within a predeterminedmarker area. The system includes a digitizer for inputting digitalcoordinate data representative of a plurality of apparel pattern pieces.A central controller receives and stores the coordinate data and uponcommand. applies predetermined grading rules to the pattern pieces. Thegraded pattern pieces may be displayed upon a cathode ray tube displayand checked by the operator. To produce a pattern marker, the operatorfaces the cathode ray tube display on which is displayed miniaturerepresentations of the marker area and the pieces comprising the desiredstyle and sizes. The operator manually operates a stylus on a datatablet which is interconnected with the central controller and thecathode ray tube display. The operator further operates a multi-buttonfunction box in conjunction with movement of the stylus, in order toarrange the piece reproductions within the marker area on the cathoderay tube. When the desired miniature marker layout has been produced onthe cathode ray tube display. the operator may cause the full sizedapparel pattern marker to be automatically plotted. The pattern markermay then be utilized to cut cloth to enable the fabrication of a largenumber of garments of the desired style and sizes.

30 Claims, 56 Drawing Figures 12 DIGITIZER 27 ALPHA, FUNCT'ON NUMERIC-l6 Box CRT INTERFACE COORDINATE CARD DIGITIZER READER I4 46 CENTRALPRINTER 4a CONTROLLER DISK INTERFACE #"fifi ,4? (-b STORAGE 16 KEY 5020w FUNCTION gggfgsnvz BOX INTERFACE DATA MARKER TABLET PLOTTER I FIG. 2

SHEET 2 TIA 8/ B 9 SIDZE l 4/x 5/H 6/T i I Us 2m 5/\. ALPHA K NEW ENDRUB PIECE PIECE OUT J GRADE W1 POINT F.I

+ LET 66- IP T,P

NOTCH SWITCH ZERO F STOP @QQQQQQQ 6 00000000 LIST CHANGE ACCEPT REJECTPLOT AREA RULE RULE OGGOGO HOR. VER. ROT ROTATE BUMP BUMP FLIP SPECIALLOCK LOCK C CCW RIGHT UP RELEASE PICK TILT BUMP BUMP OVERLAP PICK CK CCWLEFT DOWN CHE FIG. 7

BIT 3 DIODE MATRIX BIT 2 BIT l I I I20 0| g MATRIX 130- :on

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BIT O +V FROM CONTROLLER STROBE SIGNAL +5V 6RD FIG 9 SHEET TETENTE" JUF3I975 I GE NQm

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6. 6E mrwzimmk 9 SHEET 7 INPUT SHADE MAXIMUM REQU'RED BUSY OVERLAPVIOLATION TILT ERROR L4 1 j l l J 340/ 342/ 344 j 346 34a 350 FIG. /2

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I23 456 TBSIOIIIEBMISISITIBIQ $RULE RULE NA E FIG. /4

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$RULE I FIG. /6

LETTERING INTERNAL POI NT U POWT REFERENCE LINE 7 l6 7 REFERENOE LINE 8STRIPE LINE :2

I? /PUNCH HOLE LETTERING f POINT FIG. /9

START 7 POINT END 2I POINT 22 MONITOR DISPLAY OuEsTION "MARKHOR CHECK I382 376 380 I IIIIR SL IQSED QUEUE PROGRAM CHECK PROGRAM 1 392 386 PLOTPROGRAM ORAw PROGRAM MIscELLANEOus PROGRAMS 'EIROLE, MAINT, TABLE, Ecr.

TWTEPSTEDJUR 3 ms 3 887} 903 SHEET 12 FIG. 28

$MA=MARKERID,WI=59.0 GO=4/24, 5HADE=3; STYLEID, SIZE, SIZE2 SIZE PICKEDSHADE AREA- FIG. 32

"MARKER" REMOVABLE PLATTER "MARKD" o MARKER DIRECTORY "MARKR" MARKERDEFlNITIONS SHEET FIXED PLATTER SYSTEM MARKAMATIC PROGRAMS "PLoTF""uxxxx" "SECTR" IICHEKN "cums" "oPTNs" "MEsss" "sTYLo" "STYLE" TPECD"PIEco o PIECE DIRECTORY "TEPcs" "smoo" "GRADE" "RuLED" "RuLEs "PIECE"REMOVABLE PLATTER PIECE DEFINITIONS U'FIUTP'UJKTS W5 3. 03

LAS ER FLAGS c2 1 WORD/ 1o ENTRY C4 ASCII 18 C6 CHARACTER ENTRIEs MARKERPER C8 ID sEcToR NUMBER RELATIvE SECTOR 0 I OF PIEGEs gggg RELATIVEsEcToR 1 2 0F I0 #OF 6 MARKER 10 NEW STYLES s sPLIGEs MAN II oLDI o FHADE 3 I4 A REES 2 4 0 DATA MuLTIPLIER A 5 1s INTERNAL PIEGE e WIDTH 154 1 7 LENGTH 1 MAsTER IMAGE# 2&5? EE ggg 3 GOAL LENGTII*I 5 l4 1 2 3 I IoPP. MAx. RuLE H F SHADE BLOCK 9 MARKER EFFICIENCY FLAG Tm TABLE# 93%CONSTR FLAG Io sTRIPE OFFSET 15 1 5 T 7 1 ONE 8 woRu II sTRIPE sPAGINGx% mm. Y% INGR. ENTRY PER I2 PLAID sPAcING 5 8 7 8 GE IEE IQ 15 RK 1MARKER STYLE/SIZE SIZE 0F (15 ENTRIE x% INcREAsE B Y% INcREAsE a wowPIEcE 8 PER 14 INTERNAL STYLE III P3335 5 *1 SECTOR 15 sIzEIII SIZE(2) a1x *1 7s STARTING x VALUE OF SPLICEH I I as 11 ENDING x vALuE OF sPLIcE1 I ANS Q J I06- F /G 3 7 I28 AcTuAL LENGTH FIG. 36

LAsER FLAGS C4 10 F 7 AscII [G WORDS/ C6 gTIEACRACTER ENTRY 08 E ENTRIES:RJMBHR sEcToR C10 sEcToR PLus 1 RELATIVE SECTOR 0 G i 4 DATE IRRORGRAINOF ZER 9 1 FLAG FLAG sEcToRs 4 mlLk li E o 5 5 0 IT N RULE TABLE SAMPLEan 8% SECTORS 7 a 1 H6 39 PM RULE TYPE 4 12 3 WORD ENTRY FOR EACH MINT(42 PolNTs PER SECTOR) 15 12 ITYPE Joe 1 NSECG (JTYPE) 3 (JOB) 1 2 NSECP15 NSEC 1e 1; FIG 4/ :2 R1sv AXLD 16 PLOTTER 1 AYLD STATUS 15 14 12 111o 9 P08 TOOL HOME XYN PA mm; 1 XPBND (JPOS) M001.) (JHOME) (JIZ) HEADER1 2 1 1 1 (SECTOR 0) Ax 3 amex AY 32 R1GY 35 cm FIG 42 3s PSTATUS g;AYQLD (OPTIONAL) 2 XPBND 41 LDIRC "DXXXX" c1 c2 P1ECE 12s 03 c4 Z A S YFHEADER 2 WORD C6 CHARACTERS HEADER CT c8 PER wono SWORDDATA NTRY gg DATAENTRY 42 ENTRIES SECTOR c9 1-n) DIGITIZER CODES DATA ENTRY m N u MaER O9 6 1 ASCII CODE 205011 5 1 3 CHARACTER wonos m SECTOR FIG 45 0 ONLYsmrus 15 11 1o 9 aROTARY x BUTTON OF 0 qam s SWTCH (74 1o Asc1| 2m cs21112 15 F /(5 47 18 ENTRIES/ c8 NUMBER SECTOR SECTOR IN PLUS 1 OFPIECES OF sEcToRs figg g i 15 4 4 EEETORS RULE TABLE 7 REQUIRED INTERNALPIECE wARPIxI FILL (Y) ALLOWANCE 3 ALLowANcE 3 P'ECE MESSAGES F l G 15 63 I2 I o sTRIPE SHADE ROTATE FLIP NAP GROUP FLAG FLAG GROUP GROUP 5WORDS s a I 1 I 1 PER ENTRY 15 4 g 2 0 (25 ENTRIES OPP. MAX HALF PIECEBLOCK PER SECTOR) FLAG TILT TABLE 7 FLAG x INCREASE Y (%I INcREAsEINTERNAL PIECE ca 04 s 10 AscII 2 1mg? C5 c6 CHARACTER 1 s ENTRIEs/PIEcE ID EcToR 1:? cs NUMBER I uRGE STARTING sEcToR FLAG 1 1 IN GRADEPLUS 1 14 -11 sEcToRs 3T0TAL# 0F ZERo ADDITIONAL 5 PER SIZE 4 SECTORS 9y SECTCIJRRED ANGLE OF GRAIN LINE F ag iEADER l5 7 RULE O i 8 TABLE# 7MINIMUM x vALuE MINIMUM Y VALUE HEADER 1 X OFFSET OF cENTER Io woRos PERENTRY, Y OFFSET CENTER I2 ENTRIES PER sEcToR AREA PERIMETER x mm. 7 Y%mm. 8

mm TABLE NUMBER C3 C4 10 ASCII 7 WORD/ C5 6 cI-IARAcTER I EwI'RIES/ 6 mmID F e SECTOR 0? ca NUMBER c9 C10 I=uRGE sTARTING sEcToR FLAG 1 I INRuLEs PLUS 1 14 SHEET CHECK STATUS RETURN DISPLAY START -UP BUILD PLOTQUEUE ENTRY BUILD DRAW QUEUE ENTRY WPURGE QUEUE [ENTRY RETURN YES FROM12002 mm ERRDR READER NO IN CARDS NO READY READ YES YES PURGE AND PACKJOB QUEUE 548- CALL PROD2 YES START-UP 557 NO cARDs READ 560 YES 2 55aPURGE ALL YES CHECK PLOT GRA m ENTRIES 2 REQUEST HALT TO SLAVE REQUESTHALT TO SLAVE GRADING CALL PGRAB FIG. 53

INITIALI ZE PLOT POINTERS PROCESS 582 ALL AREA REQUESTS SELECT PLOT 0RDRAW JOB cALL 500 LASEM CALL PLOTP SET PRIORITY 0F ENTRY To ZERO T A'ERRELELE MARK NOT READY (E FIG. 54

1. A system for laying out an apparel pattern marker wherein a pluralityof apparel pattern pieces are arranged within a predetermined markerarea comprising: screen means for displaying to an operator scaledminiature representations of said pattern pieces adjacent a scaledminiature representation of said marker area; positioning means movableby the operator to selectively move said representations of said patternpieces one at a time on said screen means to within said representationof said marker area, wherein said representations of said pattern piecesmay be efficiently arranged within said representation of said markerarea to form a simulated marker; and means responsive to the orientationof said representations of said pattern pieces forming said simulatedmarker on said screen for plotting the full size marker layout of saidpattern pieces in the predetermined full size marker area.
 1. A systemfor laying out an apparel pattern marker wherein a plurality of apparelpattern pieces are arranged within a predetermined marker areacomprising: screen means for displaying to an operator scaled miniaturerepresentations of said pattern pieces adjacent a scaled miniaturerepresentation of said marker area; positioning means movable by theoperator to selectively move said representations of said pattern piecesone at a time on said screen means to within said representation of saidmarker area, wherein said representations of said pattern pieces may beefficiently arranged within said representation of said marker area toform a simulated marker; and means responsive to the orientation of saidrepresentations of said pattern pieces forming said simulated marker onsaid screen for plotting the full size marker layout of said patternpieces in the predetermined full size marker area.
 2. The system ofclaim 1 and further comprising: a data tablet interconnected with saidscreen means and said positioning means for generating electricalsignals representative of the position of said positioning meansrelative to said data tablet, and means responsive to said electricalsignals for causing selective movement of said representations of saidpattern pieces on said screen means.
 3. The system of claim 2 andfurther comprising: circuitry responsive to movement of said positioningmeans relative to said data tablet for causing corresponding movement ofa light cursor over said screen means.
 4. The system of claim 3 andfurther comprising pick means for being operated such that patternpieces displayed on said screen jump to a predetermined locationrelative to said cursor when said cursor is moved adjacent said patternpieces.
 5. The system of claim 1 and further comprising: a function boxinterconnected with said screen means and including function buttons forvarying the position of said pattern pieces within said displayed markerarea.
 6. The system of claim 5 wherein said function box includes abutton for causing selected pattern pieces to be abutted within saiddisplayed marker area.
 7. The system of claim 5 wherein said functionbox includes a button for causing a pattern piece to be selectivelyrotated within said displayed marker area.
 8. The system of claim 5wherein said function box includes a button for causing a pattern pieceto be flipped over within said displayed marker area.
 9. A system forpreparing an apparel pattern marker comprising: a digitizer forgenerating digital coordinate signals representative of the coordinatesof points defining a plurality of model size pattern pieces; means forstoring said coordinate signals and for grading said stored modelpattern pieces according to predetermined grading rules; a displayscreen operable in response to said stored coordinatE signals fordisplaying miniature representations of a predetermined size of patternpieces and a miniature representation of a marker area; a data tabletinterconnected with said display screen and said storing and gradingmeans and including a stylus movable adjacent said data tablet,circuitry responsive to movement of said stylus relative to said datatablet for selectively causing movement of said pattern pieces on saiddisplay screen into said marker area; a function box operable to arrangesaid pattern pieces in an efficient abutting relationship within saidmarker area; and a plotter for plotting a full sized markercorresponding to a final arrangement of pattern pieces within saidmarker area on said display screen.
 10. The system of claim 9 whereinsaid digitizer includes a light for being illuminated if the operatordoes not operate said digitizer in accordance with predeterminedcriteria.
 11. The system of claim 9 wherein said digitizer includes acursor member movable over a table and including switches operable todesignate types of coordinate signals being generated.
 12. The system ofclaim 9 and further comprising means for calculating the efficiency ofthe utilizatiton of the marker area by a particular arrangement ofpattern pieces on said display screen within the marker area, and meansfor displaying the efficiency of a finished marker layout on saiddisplay screen.
 13. The system of claim 9 and further comprising meansfor terminating display of pattern pieces and marker area and fordisplaying a nested plot of various graded sizes of a pattern piece onsaid display screen, said stylus operable to check the grading appliedto said nested plot.
 14. A system for laying out a plurality of patternpieces in a pattern marker comprising: a digitizer for generatingpattern pieces coordinate data from said pattern pieces and gradinginstructions from said coordinate data; means for storing saidcoordinate data and grading instructions; means for selectivelyretrieving portions of said coordinate data and grading instructionscorresponding to pattern pieces of a preselected style; means forapplying said grading instructions to said retrieved coordinate data tograde said pattern pieces to preselected sizes; a display screen fordisplaying miniature representations of said graded pattern pieces andsaid marker area; a data tablet; stylus means movable relative to saiddata tablet; circuitry responsive to movement of said stylus meansrelative to said data tablet for causing movement of said pattern pieceson said display screen into said displayed marker area; and means forplotting a full sized marker corresponding to the final arrangement ofpattern pieces within said marker area on said display screen.
 15. Thesystem of claim 14 and further comprising means for displaying saidminiature pattern pieces on said display screen in an order ofdecreasing size.
 16. The system of claim 14 and further comprising afunction box having a plurality of keys, one of said keys operable tocause one of said displayed pattern pieces to be locked on to movementof said light cursor in order to move said pattern pieces into saiddisplayed marker area.
 17. The system of claim 16 wherein one of saidkeys is operable to cause selected pattern pieces to be abutted withinsaid displayed marker area.
 18. The system of claim 14 wherein saidforming means comprises a plotter for plotting a full sized marker on asheet of pattern paper.
 19. The system of claim 14 and furthercomprising means for displaying a goal line on said marker area todesignate a desired area to be filled with said pattern pieces.
 20. Thesystem of claim 14 and further comprising means for generating an alarmindication if the boundaries of any of the pattern pieces arranged insaid displayed marker area by operation of said stylus means areoverlapped with one another.
 21. A system for grading And checking modelpattern pieces comprising: a digitizer for generating pattern piececoordinate data and grading instructions for said coordinate data; meansfor storing said coordinate data and grading instructions; means forapplying said grading instructions to said coordinate data according topredetermined grade rules; display means for selectively displayingnested plots of a a plurality of graded sizes of each of said patternpieces; a data tablet interconnected with said displaying means andincluding a stylus; means responsive to movement of said stylus adjacentsaid data tablet for displaying grading instructions on said displaymeans corresponding to selected points on said displayed nested plots; afunction box having switches operable to revise said gradinginstructions displayed on said display means corresponding to saidselected points on said displayed nested plots; and means for regradingsaid selected points on said displayed nested plots according to saidrevised grading instructions.
 22. The system of claim 21 and furthercomprising means for displaying on said display means a rule tableselected from said function box.
 23. The system of claim 21 and furtherincluding means for displaying a selected plurality of pattern piecesadjacent a marker area and for moving said pattern pieces into saidmarker area.
 24. A method for arranging a plurality of apparel patternpieces within a marker area to form a pattern marker comprising:displaying on a screen miniature representations of said pattern piecesand of said marker area; operating a positioning system to move saidpattern pieces into said marker area on said screen and to arrange saidpattern pieces within said marker area; and automatically tracing out afull sized apparel pattern marker corresponding to the final arrangementon said screen of said pattern pieces in said marker area.
 25. Themethod of claim 24 and further comprising: operating buttons on afunction box to cause selected ones of said displayed pattern pieces tobe abutted together within said marker area.
 26. A method of preparingan apparel pattern marker comprising: generating digital coordinate datarepresentative of the coordinates of points defining a plurality ofmodel size pattern pieces; storing said coordinate data; grading saidstored coordinate data according to predetermined grading rules;displaying on a screen miniature representations of a predetermined sizeand style of pattern pieces and a miniature representation of a markerarea; moving a cursor on said screen for picking selected pattern piecesdisplayed on said screen and for moving said pattern pieces into saiddisplayed marker area; operating function buttons for arranging andorienting said displayed pattern pieces within said displayed markerarea; and plotting a full size marker corresponding to the finalarrangement of pattern pieces within said marker area on said screen.27. The method of claim 26 and further comprising operating ones of saidfunction buttons for causing pattern pieces to be moved into abutmentwith one another within said displayed marker area.
 28. The method ofclaim 26 and further comprising: operating ones of said function buttonsfor causing rotation of selected ones of said displayed pattern pieceswithin said displayed marker area.
 29. The method of claim 26 andfurther comprising generating an alarm indication when pattern piecesoverlap one another within said marker area.